Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has secured support to proceed with the AUKUS deal following open dissent from the Labor Party’s left faction.
Despite internal party opposition to the AUKUS deal, Mr. Albanese’s party gave explicit support to the deal after the motion passed the floor without a vote, while other amendments, such as the second anti-AUKUS motion, had lapsed.
During a speech at Labor’s National Platform in Brisbane on Aug. 18, Mr. Albanese said that the AUKUS deal aligns with Labor’s foreign policy.
“A partnership with two of Australia’s oldest friends through AUKUS and an enhancement of the alliance that is the heart of one of the three pillars of our foreign policy is consistent with the Labor values that I have been a part of my whole life,” Mr. Albanese said.
“We know there is no security in isolation. Australia has a role and, indeed, a responsibility to engage in our region and the wider world.
“To fulfil these objectives, to sustain and strengthen Australia’s place in the world, our government is investing in our capabilities, and we are investing in those relationships.”
Mr. Albanese added that Australia’s defence capabilities depend on nuclear-powered submarines.
“I have come to the position, based upon advice and analysis, that nuclear-powered submarines are what Australia needs in the future,” he said.
While Mr. Albanese did not mention China, he said that investing in nuclear submarines will bring “peace, security, stability and prosperity right across the Indo-Pacific.”
A ‘Clear Choice’
Defence Minister Richard Marles said that the AUKUS deal was a “clear choice.”“Now I know that the word ‘nuclear’ invokes a strong reaction, but we are not about nuclear weapons,” Mr. Marles said prior to Mr. Albanese’s address to the policy platform.
“Under this arrangement, Australia will remain and fulfil all our obligations under the nuclear proliferation treaty, and we will be working with the International Energy Atomic Agency to do that, and we will meet our obligations under the Treaty of Rarotonga because we will never base nuclear weapons on our shores.
“And if we take submarines off the table, we will never have left our country more exposed, and that will undermine the whole idea of Australian self-reliance, which is at the heart of our platform.”
This follows calls from U.S. Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), who on Aug. 10 said Australia and the UK need to adopt a “war footing” to avoid conflict with China.
Internal Dissent on AUKUS
During the debate on AUKUS, Labor MP Josh Wilson opposed defence industry minister Pat Conroy’s argument that opposing AUKUS is appeasement.Mr. Conroy argued that AUKUS is vital for national security and that “strength deters war,” adding that the “arms race has already started.”
“Delegates, if you’re pro-human rights, you need to be pro-AUKUS. If you’re pro-peace, you need to be pro-AUKUS. If you are pro-advanced manufacturing, you need to be pro-AUKUS; if you’re pro trying to bring manufacturing back to this country, you need to be pro-AUKUS; this is in the national interest, and it’s in Labor’s interests, and I commend the delegation to the floor,” Mr. Conroy said.
However, Mr. Wilson criticised Mr. Conroy’s argument, saying that while deterrence has a deterrent value, it’s not justification for “any and every defence acquisition.”
“In my view, the decision to acquire nuclear-propelled submarines is not justified and involves too many risks to the maintenance of our future submarine capability, to the proper balance of our defence budget allocations, and to our sovereign manufacturing capacity,” Mr. Wilson said.
“In addition, it involves the sharing of weapons-grade nuclear technology in a novel arrangement that carries non-proliferation and safeguard integrity risks, disturbs the regional status quo, and commits Australia to take on decommissioning and nuclear waste storage challenges that have not been met by anyone, anywhere.”
Former senator and trade unionist Doug Cameron previously said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faces a contest at the national ALP conference over nuclear submarines, along with other issues such as “regressive” tax cuts and Palestine.
“The ALP Left has a proud history of challenging a bad policy at the ALP Nat Conference,” Mr. Cameron said.
“Would be gobsmacked if nuclear subs, regressive tax cuts and Palestine are not debated. Political discipline does not mean the Left subjugate themselves to leadership decrees on what can be debated.”
Meanwhile, Paul Farrow, the new leader of the right-leaning Australian Workers Union (AWU), declared his union’s support for the AUKUS deal, saying that he will push back against the left’s attempts to oppose the $386 billion (US$257 billion) nuclear submarine deal.
On Aug. 11, Mr. Gallagher said the AUKUS pact will have a “dramatic impact” on the alliance’s ability to deter a future war in the Indo-Pacific.
